Question

Based on what you've learned about Beowulf so far, what do you think your experience reading it will be like? What do you think the style and content of the story will be?

Answer 1

Assuming you haven't begun to read Beowulf yet, and have only discussed a summary or the characters, you could say something like:

I think Beowulf will be an interesting piece to read. It seems that it will contain tense action and fantasy. The combination of the plot and the personalities of the characters will surely create a well-rounded story.

Answer 2

Answer and explanation:

Usually, before we begin to read Beowulf, teachers and books offer us at least a couple of details concerning this literary work. We learn it is an epic poem of 3,000 lines written centuries ago, between 975 and 1025. Thus, the setting of the story is a completely different era, known as the Early Middle Ages.

We also know that it was written in Old English, also known as Anglo-Saxon, which is strikingly different from the Modern English we use today. Vocabulary, structure, and the alphabet make it a challenge for modern readers. Let's take a look at a couple of lines:

wæt! Wé Gárdena in géardagum

þéodcyninga þrym gefrúnon·

Listen! We of the Spear-Danes in the days of yore,

of those clan-kings heard of their glory.

Thus, if you have that previous knowledge of Beowulf as most students do, you can assume the experience of reading it will be challenging yet rewarding. Much of that period's values and culture can be revealed, as if we were getting a glimpse on what qualities society used to treasure - what made a hero a hero. The style will probably be a bit too elaborate, since old literature has that tendency already. The content is most likely the same as all epic poems: a hero defeating monsters and being acknowledged for his feats eternally.